Theatre, AI and Participation: A European Mobility Journey

SOLIS SRLS implemented its first annual KA121-ADU project within its Erasmus+ accreditation in Adult Education. The project brought together three staff mobility experiences—two job shadowing activities and one course and training activity—undertaken by two members of staff.

Although the mobilities took place in different educational and professional environments, they were connected by a common purpose: strengthening the organisation’s capacity to use creativity, digital technologies and participatory methods in inclusive adult education.

The activities contributed to three objectives of the SOLIS Erasmus Plan:

• strengthening staff competences in artificial intelligence, digital technologies and digital art;

• integrating digital creativity into social innovation in an ethical and inclusive way;

• exploring scenic and audiovisual innovation as a tool for raising awareness of social and environmental issues.

Job shadowing at Teatro Olympia: learning from the stage

The first mobility was undertaken by Domingo Ferrandis, Head of Education, Training and Social Inclusion at SOLIS SRLS, at Teatro Olympia in Valencia.

The job shadowing provided an opportunity to observe the different stages involved in the development of a professional theatrical production. These included creative and technical preparation, rehearsals, coordination between artistic and organisational teams, production processes and the work leading up to a performance.

The experience demonstrated that innovation in theatre does not depend only on technology. It also requires collaboration between people with different professional roles, careful planning and the capacity to connect artistic language with the needs and experiences of an audience.

For SOLIS, these observations were particularly relevant to the use of theatre and audiovisual communication in educational and social contexts. Scenic and digital tools can help create immersive experiences addressing themes such as climate change, mental health, multiculturalism, gender equality, respect and social inclusion.

The mobility also provided practical insights into how professional artistic environments organise teamwork, respond to technical and creative challenges and transform an initial concept into an experience capable of involving an audience.

Digital media and generative AI at the Universitat Politècnica de València

Following the theatre job shadowing, Domingo participated in a course and training activity at the Universitat Politècnica de València. The training comprised two complementary five-day modules, for a total of ten training days.

The first module focused on digital photography and video. It covered image and video capture, composition, visual storytelling, lighting, sound and editing. Participants worked with tools used for photography, audiovisual production and post-production, including Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve.

This part of the training strengthened the capacity to create accessible and engaging digital content for education, communication and social awareness. It also reinforced the importance of using visual language intentionally: images and videos should not merely illustrate an activity but help communicate its meaning and reach different audiences.

The second module focused on generative artificial intelligence. It introduced tools for generating and processing text, images, audio and video, as well as applications for document analysis and workflow support. The tools explored included ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, DALL-E, Midjourney, Runway, Pika, ElevenLabs and Suno.

An important part of the course concerned the limitations and risks of artificial intelligence. Participants considered questions relating to bias, reliability, copyright, transparency and responsible use. This critical dimension is essential when AI is applied in educational or socially sensitive environments.

The two modules created a useful connection between technical skills and responsible digital practice. The learning acquired can now support SOLIS in developing educational materials, audiovisual narratives and participatory activities while maintaining human supervision, critical judgement and attention to inclusion.

A month of observation and participation in Romania

The third mobility was a one-month job shadowing undertaken by Ana María Solís, Managing Director and Erasmus Coordinator of SOLIS SRLS, at Dimitrie Cantemir University in Târgu Mureș, Romania.

The mobility began with observation of the university’s academic and organisational environment. It included exchanges with university staff and visits to different faculties and facilities, including the library and the areas of Medicine, Dental Medicine and Geography.

Particular attention was given to quality management, student support, the inclusion of international and non-local students, wellbeing and possible links between the university and the local community.

The observation phase was followed by the practical application of the methods and insights developed during the mobility. Two participatory workshops were organised with the university.

The first workshop involved approximately 30 participants from the Faculty of Psychology, including students, professors, researchers and members of staff. The participants explored needs and possible European project ideas connected with mental health, emotional and digital wellbeing, resilience, education, social inclusion and community support.

The second workshop involved approximately 30 first-year Dental Medicine students. It focused on the transition to university life, academic adaptation, intercultural dialogue, integration, a sense of belonging, mentoring and community support.

The workshops were based on autobiographical storytelling, guided reflection, active listening, small-group work and collective prioritisation. Rather than receiving a conventional lecture, participants were invited to identify needs, share experiences and transform their observations into initial ideas for future educational and European projects.

Artificial intelligence was used to support the organisation of information, the structuring of emerging ideas and the initial planning of possible activities. However, the interpretation of needs, the selection of priorities and the final decisions remained in the hands of the participants.

The groups also explored how future workshops could involve international students of different ages together with members of the local population. The proposed activities would be linked to the subject areas of the different faculties, creating opportunities for intercultural learning, community participation and mutual support.

From observation to organisational learning

The three mobility experiences followed a common learning pathway.

The theatre job shadowing showed how creative ideas are developed through collaboration, technical coordination and engagement with audiences. The university course provided practical skills in digital media and generative AI, together with a critical understanding of their responsible use. The Romanian job shadowing connected observation with participatory experimentation and the co-creation of new project ideas.

This combination is particularly valuable for a small adult education organisation. Mobility is not only an opportunity for individual professional development. Its value increases when learning is documented, shared internally and transformed into new organisational practices.

As a result of the project, SOLIS has strengthened its capacity to:

• design participatory educational activities;

• use visual, audiovisual and AI-supported tools more effectively;

• approach artificial intelligence critically and responsibly;

• connect artistic methods with social and environmental themes;

• support intercultural dialogue and inclusion;

• develop new European cooperation ideas based on identified needs.

The experience also confirmed the importance of moving beyond observation. Job shadowing becomes more meaningful when participants have the opportunity to discuss what they observe, adapt it to their own professional context and test new approaches with the host community.

Mobility as a starting point

These activities do not represent an endpoint. The knowledge and methods acquired will be incorporated into future SOLIS educational programmes, participatory workshops, communication activities and European project development.

The project demonstrates how theatre, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and participatory facilitation can complement one another. When used critically and inclusively, they can help adult education organisations create learning experiences that are more creative, accessible and connected with contemporary social challenges.

The mobility activities were implemented within Erasmus+ project 2025-1-IT02-KA121-ADU-000315936, under the Erasmus+ accreditation of SOLIS SRLS in the field of Adult Education.